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1988 Bochum production
=Bochum, Germany= On 12 June 1988, a production opened at a specially built venue, the Starlighthalle in Bochum, Germany. It is currently the only permanent production of Starlight Express playing. It has been seen by more than 13 million people as of March 2010. The Starlighthalle was built especially for the production in an extraordinary time of less than one year. Both the special building and record breaking build time were documented in the Guinness Book of Records. The Starlighthalle was specially designed for the show, with large tracks on two levels in a U-like shape with the audience sitting in the middle and around these tracks. On stage the tracks even run over three levels which allows several race combinations. In 2003 a 'Y' shaped track was added to the smallest inner track, the Parkett, dividing it into 3 seating areas and allowing greater flexibility of staging and more tricks for the skaters. A good impression of the Starlighthalle can be seen on the official website http://www.starlight-express-musical.de/index.php?id=259 from a 360° panorama view and lots of high resolution pictures from the show, featuring the current cast. In March 2008, Starlight Express ran a talent competition with German Television to find the next Rusty and Pearl. The show started on 31 March and was called 'Musical Showstar 2008'. The competition was won by Kevin Köhler and Anna-Maria Schmidt. Schmidt dropped out of training, but Köhler premiered as Rusty on 1 August 2008. May 2014 saw a change in the cast, with Kevin Köhler returning to play as Rusty, and Trina Hill replacing Georgina Hagen as Pearl. The show advertises as "Das rasanteste Musical im Universum!" ("The fastest musical in the universe!") Plot Revisions The Bochum production, while a descendant of Broadway, reverted quite a lot to the original London version of the show, including some of the later London changes. The Broadway race structure remained, but in the interests of nationalism, Weltschaft (soon re-named Ruhrgold) the German engine was swapped with Bobo the French engine, so that he was in the final race. Belle was entirely removed, having been proved incompatible with the four-race structure on Broadway. They began with 4 Rockies, but soon reverted back to 3. Rocky IV can now be seen in the foyer, along with Weltschaft, cast in bronze. The production remained mostly unaltered artistically until recent years. Originally, the opening overture and skate round remained from London, but the running order bore more relation to Broadway. The Broadway song "Engine of Love", translated to "Liebesexpress", introduced Rusty and the Coaches rather than "Call Me Rusty". "Ne Lok mit Locomotion" ("A Lotta Locomotion") remains in the style of the Original London, with all four coaches singing. "Pumping Iron" comes after "AC/DC", as a direct challenge from the current champion to the newcomer. "Hilf Mir Verstehn" ("Make Up My Heart"), as Broadway, followed, with Pearl eventually opting for Electra. In 2003, the late London song "Crazy" was put into the show between "Pumping Iron" and "Hilf Mir Verstehn", with "Liebesexpress" ("Engine of Love"), which fulfills much the same purpose, greatly shortened. At the same time "Allein im Licht der Sterne" ("Next time you fall in love") replaced "Du Allein" ("Only You"). The Late London style "Megamix" was added to the end of the show, though the excerpts from the show's songs are not in the same order. October 2006 saw the assimilation of the second US tour Hip Hoppers, replacing the Rockies. In 2007 the Rap was altered again, adding the beginning of the UK Tour version, and pyrotechnical effects can be seen when Electra enters and Greaseball skates at high speed. In 2008, the "Overture" was replaced by "The Entry of the National Trains" (moved from prior to "AC/DC"). "Engine of Love" was cut completely, with the melody recycled for Pearl's ballad "He'll Whistle at Me" ("Dann pfeift er mir zu"), in a new German translation. To replace "Engine of Love", the shortened version of "Call Me Rusty" ("Nennt mich rostig") has been introduced. "There's Me" has been cut. The title song has been reworked to "When your goodnights have been said" version. "The Rap" is now the "It's Race Time" version. The final duet between Rusty and Pearl has been re-worked to the UK tour version of "Only He" ("Nur mit Ihm"). In 2013 the love-song was replaced yet again, this time with the German translation of "I Do" ("Für Immer"), and "Whole Lotta Locomotion" ("Nie Genug") other songs, like "G.E.K.U.P.P.E.L.T." ("U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D.") were re-translated, as well as the show being re-choreographed and the lighting updated. 1988 Cast Further Cast information 1989 - 2015 Current Cast Category:productions Category:Bochum